Fireplace-damper.



No. 732,380. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903'.

M.. E. STOKES. v FIREPLACE DAMPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1903.

no MOD EL.

' fect-fireplace-drafts, and where the ordinary Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARSTON E. STOKES, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIREPLACE-DAMPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,380, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed January 12, 1903. 7 Serial No. 138,613. (No model.)

To all whowt it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, MARSTON E. STOKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Fireplace-Damper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a construction which has been designed for regulating the draft of fireplaces.

The especial objects of this invention are to provide a simple and efficient form of throatway for connecting a fireplace with a chimney-flue in such a manner that an efficient draft-passage will be provided of such shape and character that it will insure a proper fireplace-draft and will preventback currents or downdrafts and also to secure'the regulation of the draft by means of a simple and efficient arrangement of damper-plates. To these ends this invention consists of the fireplace-damper and of the combinations of parts therewith, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of sufficient parts of a chimney and fireplace to illustrate the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of my improved construction, and Fig. 3 is a detailview of the operating-handle and its locking-disk.

One of the most annoying problems in building ordinary dwelling-houses is to pro vide for the construction of open fireplaces so that an efficient draft will be maintained and down currents or back drafts avoided.

This is due to the fact that slight changes in the shape of the throat or opening from the fireplace into the chimney-flue oftentimes cause the fireplace to smoke or cause imperfireplaces are built by persons not experts in masonry construction or who have not made a specialty of this work variations in the size of bricks or in the thickness of mortar seams will often lead to variations in dimensions-of the fireplaces from those actually designed. The especial object of this invention is to provide a fireplace-fitting of simple and efficient form and which when built into place will provide a correctly-designed throatway for connecting the fireplace and chimney-flue, while the draft of the fireplace may also be regulated by a simple and efiicient arrangement of damper-plates.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detail description of a fireplace having my invention applied thereto, in Fig. l M designates the body portion or masonry in which is formed the fireplace-opening A and the chimney-flue F.

A fitting constructed according to my invention for connecting the fireplace A and chimney-flue F, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, comprises a metallic base-plate 10, which may be supported on three of its sides by the masonry M and may be supported at its front side by a cross-bar B. Extending up from the base-plate 10 and formed integrally therewith, if desired, is a hood ll, having athroat or passage opening up into the chimney-flue. In practice I have found that by the use of a throat-fitting for fireplaces of this shape I am enabled to secure an efficient draft, while downdrafts will be avoided. The use of this fitting, furthermore, enables me to provide a simple and convenient arrangement'of damper-plates.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 2, a number of rods 13 are journaled transversely in the hood 11. At their rear ends the rods 13 are bent down or provided with crank-shaped sections, and connecting the crank-sections is a connecting rod or plate 14:, which may be held in place by nuts or cotter-pins, as shown. Mounted'on each of the rods 13 is a damperplate 12. One of the rods 13for example, the central one-may be extended through to the front of thefireplace and provided with a spring-pressed handle 15, which handle 15 has a tongue or lug which may be set into engagement with the desired notch in the disk 16 to hold the damper-plates 12 in their upright or open position, in inclined or partiallyclosed positions, or in horizontal position when'it is desired to com pletely close the passage between the fireplace and chimney-flue.

In a number of instances ithas been proposed to provide swinging fireplace-dampers but in all such constructions with which I am familiar the damper-plates have swung laterally with respect to the fireplace-opening, and I have found in practice that the use of such fireplace-dampers is objectionable, because they act as battle-plates or deflectors, which are liable to deflect the smoke back into the fireplace when said dampers are partly closed, whereas by employing a plurality of damper plates having a swinging motion widthwise with respect to the flue-opening reliability of draft will be obtained even when such dampers are inclined or partially closed.

I am aware that changes may be made in practicing my invention by those who are skilled in the art Without departing from the scope thereof as expressed in the claims. I do not Wish, therefore, to be limited to the construction I have herein shown and described; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As an article of manufacture, a fireplacefitting, comprising a metallic hood adapted to be supported in the throatway between a fireplace and a chimney-flue, a plurality of transverse rods pivoted in the hood, a connection for causing the rods to turn in unison, a plurality of damper-plates carried by the rods, an operating-rod extending to the front of the fireplace, a handle for turning the rod, and a locking mechanism on the outside of the fireplace for holding the dampers in different adjusted positions.

2. As an article of manufacture, a fireplacefitting, comprising a metallic hood adapted to be supported in the throatwaybetween the fireplace and a chimney-flue, a plurality of transverse rods pivoted in the hood, a connection for causing the rods to turn in unison, comprising crank-sections on the ends of the rods outside of and at the rear of the hood in position not to be acted upon by the products of combustion, a link connecting the cranks, damper-plates secured on the transverse rods, an operating-rod extending out to the front of the fireplace, a spring-pressed handle mounted on said rod, and a notched disk cooperating with said handle to hold the parts in different adjusted positions.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARSTON E. STOKES.

Witnesses:

LoUIs W. SOUTHGATE, PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE. 

